The Second Dark Age

[Monk]

part xxiv
Third wave

5 kilometers south of Solace
05:43 hours, first encounter +8

The dark night sky slowly began to change. A light on the eastern horizon appeared sending waves of blue and green echoing outwards like a ripple on a calm pond. Sunrise was at last approaching. Slowly in the distance, birds could be heard chirping for the first time in days. Yet even their songs fell upon a deaf audience. As the bright light of the world appeared over the brown earth, revealed was the carnage that had befallen humanity. Bodies lay mingled together, their life force falling from open wounds. Creature and human alike had fallen side by side; in many places knives still grasped tightly by soldiers who would not let go of their hate. However it was not over.

A sudden cry silenced the earth and summoned to it all ears; a deep ominous groan that made the earth nearly quake. As it ended, the same sound was repeated, not once or twice, but many times over. Uriel’s creatures were gone; the true creature threat was content to reveal itself. Like a shadow overcoming a fading candle they appeared on the southern horizon; four creatures that fit the description of the Lord of All at Solace led them. Yet this time their hides were red, shinning in the emerging sunlight their teeth dripped with saliva in anticipation of battle. And behind them were creatures of all kinds that had so far revealed themselves. United in their bloodlust and hatred at last they quickened their pace, eager for the kills that lay ahead. Their number was legion, and they would stop for nothing.

Lucius lowered his binoculars and took a deep breath. The scent of blood was all around him and suddenly he coughed violently, though he couldn’t escape it. The smell fluttered around him as he drew his senses to him and looked at the on coming creatures. His peaceful blue eyes did much to hide the turmoil in his soul, “Why?” he spoke softly, his voice disappearing into a gentle breeze and becoming audible only to him. “Why do they keep coming?” He closed his eyes for a moment to hide the fate that was coming screaming toward him; yet what he saw was worse. The mounds of dead bodies, their blood running like rivers and their eyes still open; frozen in a moment of pure anguish. His eyes shot open quickly enough, yet when he did so, he saw the same thing. It was hard to tell if one was truly alive, or already in hell.

“General.” a voice suddenly broke his concentration, if it could be called that. He turned to see his wounded captain. The man’s arm was in a sling and blood was a hallmark on his uniform. Yet there was no sorrow in his eyes, just pain. The images that had passed into his mind were now his forever, and he wished it different. “New orders sir.” Finally the order had come, the order to withdraw north had come in. yet now, it was too late. The coming tide of enemies would not stop to allow the humans to pack up and leave. They were trapped.

Lucius let his exhaustion overcome him at last and he nearly collapsed to a sitting position on the ground. His limbs were so tired, by the gods they felt like they could fall off at any moment. “Sir?” the voice of his captain bounced off the surface of his thoughts, going unheeded. He closed his eyes again, hoping to not see the images of death again. It was as if a veil had covered the memories, for all he saw was darkness. Sweet, forgiving darkness; how he loved the sight after the horror he’d seen. Berserkers slicing their way through the creatures even as the Solicians fell around them. Mechs wading into waves of foes, only to be overcome and their pilots killed. Somehow without his knowledge the images had returned; yet Lucius couldn’t help but smile. The human mind was surely an frightening organ. “Sir?” the voice came again, this time he heard it.

“How many survived the attack?” Lucius asked wearily. His pride was stripped from him, and all he could feel was envy for the fallen. Envy that they were released from the memories while he still suffered them. The captain went about listing to the best of his knowledge how many men still remained; and as the weary general calculated everything it all seemed like a low number. In fact, less than ten percent truly lived.

“And sir.” the captain said as he bit his lip, feeling a sharp pain in his arm. “The berserkers were wiped out.” The information was no surprise, and in fact was already known to Lucius. After the creatures overran the second trench line the remaining berserkers put up a stout defense, allowing the Solicians to fall back to a third line. Yet the berserkers themselves were overrun. One could still find a ring of their bodies lying halfway between the second trench and the third; their hands still holding their poweraxes tightly.

A deep growl was head as Lucius looked at the horizon, the creatures were drawing ever closer. He knew what had to be done as he slowly stood, his strength was all but gone yet somehow he found the will to stand again. He looked to his captain, and without a word the message was conveyed. The general’s second in command nodded in understanding, retreat wasn’t an option. “Take up defensive positions!” he cried loudly, switching on his radio he said the same thing again.

The surviving Solicians moved as fast as their weary bodies could take them to the blood soaked trenches. With deep sighs they entered them and starred out on the advancing creatures. Yet their bodies were exhausted, they could hardly lift their lasrifles. A thousand more cries of varying decimal rose up all at once; but the humans did not even try to fight. Their bodies were so exhausted, and their minds were already filled with more horrid images than one should ever know. One by one their strength failed them, and they waited for death.

Closer and closer the creatures got yet not a shot was fired toward them. None had the strength or will to fight anymore. The noise of the thousands of limbs rose ever higher as again voices of terrible design echoed ahead of their makers; and to meet them came no rifle shot, no shout or obscene curse. Only men whose will and minds have been sapped of their strength remained. Lucius watched as the red creatures drew ever closer, he could hear a voice in his mind telling him to just let them take him. Let death take these horrid memories away.

Yet when another round of voices cried loudly, he saw them again. The vision of all the dead men that had fallen fighting for him and in the name of Solicous flashed before his eyes. They had fought hand to hand; throwing aside their weapons of technology and charging in to take a toll of revenge for all the innocents had been killed. They had not given up. Even when all around them was crumbling they stood their ground; their hatred for their enemy far outweighing their fear of death. The general could feel his heart slowly being set alight with his anger. How could he let himself even consider giving up!? “No” he said slowly, throwing back his weary shoulders and looking into the red wave of enemies. “I may die, but I shall never be broken!”

Lucius drew his knife and held it high; when he did so a strange blue light took to it. He smiled as he gripped it tightly. Drawing a deep breath his eyes slowly closed, and then he charged. He ran as hard as he could toward his enemy; his men were stunned when he leaped their lines with his powerknife in the air. It was as if he didn’t care anymore. So long as his enemy was killed; the price no longer mattered. His men looked upon the dead, and much the same came over them. So many had died, could they truly just give up now? They drew every ounce of strength in their tired bodies and charged forward. One last time they raised their lasrifles for their gods, their king, and their country.

A sudden explosion rocked the mass of charging creatures as an F-24 Dragon thundered overhead. The abominations stopped in their tracks as the sun rose fully. Light quickly flooded into the sky; and there coming toward them over the northern horizon were more bombers and planes than they could count. The ORDER and the Berserkers had sent everything they had to wipe them out, and even the creatures knew it was enough. As their eyes came down they saw coming toward them the remaining human fighters of the battle. Their lasrifles suddenly opened fire and a number of creatures were overcome in clouds of green mist. Without care the creatures charged forward; their end was in sight but they would take all the humans they could with them.

Lucius cried out loudly as he brought down his knife into the skull of a creature; at the same moment the bombers passed overhead and the bombs came whistling down. The creatures cried in anger as their doom came hurdling toward them. The remaining humans cut into the front rank of the creatures, determined to fight to the end. The bombs hit, and in a moment the battlefield was cleansed in a baptism of fire.

The battle for Solace had finally ended.

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ok...it's 5 am...i'm so tired...so...so tired...

thanks for commenting guys, for a while I was worried everyone had stopped reading.

@Sigurd: I got the name from one of the files you sent me to help me remember the backstory. I hope you do not mind but the list of names I use for ORDER and Solicians didn't sound right for a Berserker. But i'm really glad you enjoyed it. again

@Shadow: I'm glad you like it. I thought I needed to add something for the Humans. they were coming off as bland and faceless so i added the emotional bits, glad I'm not the only one who thought it was a good idea.

@TheSilverKnight: ...wanker? bah! told you i'd get it done and i did...*mumbles* yeh smartass j/k mate.